The Call of the Raging Wolf
by RomanVulcan83
Summary: Harry has a dream that he's Voldemort plotting something with a mysterious figure. He assumes it's just a dream...until Ginny disappears. AU of year 7. Rated K for scary images and some language. Please R&R.
1. Where There's a Will

A/N: I disclaim almost all of the characters and settings to the following people: J. K. Rowling, George Lucas, and Anne Walsh a.k.a. whydoyouneedtoknow. I got Anne's permission to use her characters in my stories. Thanks, Anne.

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Chapter 1: Where There's a Will...

Harry Potter yawned and lay down on his now-unmade bed. _Boy, am I glad there haven't been any battles with Voldemort for months now. I hope that'll continue for a while._ The 17-year-old pulled the covers up to his neck.

"G'night, Harry," said a half-asleep Ron Weasley.

"See ya tomorrow, Ron," Harry replied, and then he fell asleep.

He began dreaming. He dreamt that a mysterious person was holding him captive. He couldn't protest. At least, not in a human voice. All he could do was growl. The person had spoken in a language that he didn't understand. He had been handed over to an overgrown, very disgusting slug. After a long time, Ron was pushed into his cell. The redhead was apparently blind, but when Harry growled, Ron seemed to comprehend.

Later, they were being brought up to the slug's throne room. But then, before they made it into the throne room, the dream suddenly changed. Harry felt like he was right there in the dream. He had an odd feeling that he, Harry Potter, should be killed. Then it dawned on him.

He was Lord Voldemort.

He looked in the shadows of a tree and saw a person there. He could not see the feature of this person since he—or she—was in the shadows; however, Harry (or Voldemort) spoke to him—or her—calmly.

"Now, my new ally," Harry told the figure, "your time has come to prove yourself to me."

"I will, my Lord," the figure said in a female voice. "I'll do what I have done for several millennia."

"Harry Potter must die!" Voldemort proclaimed.

"But before I can kill him," the mysterious figure continued, "I must choose the right bait to attract him."

"And I know two people who might be the right bait," Voldemort told her. "One is one of his best friends, Hermione Granger. The other is his girlfriend, Ginevra Weasley."

"SHE IS NOT!" Harry almost shouted. But he couldn't say anything.

"I will take," she replied after a moment, "the Weasley girl."

"This will be the end of the Boy Who Lived," Harry said.

Both villains laughed evilly for a few seconds. Then the shadowy figure walked towards the light. She was just about to step into the light when…

"Harry!" exclaimed a voice.

Harry jolted awake. "Ron?" he asked. "Wh-what's wrong?"

"You were screaming."

"No, I wasn't. Was I?" Harry looked around and saw all the boys in the dormitory staring at him except for those who were currently snoring.

"You were; you woke most of us up."

"What time is it?"

"Eleven thirty-two. What was wrong?"

"I-I was dreaming I was Voldemort." There were quite a few shudders when Harry said the name. "He was…talking to another person in the shadows. I never saw her face."

"Then how didja know that it was a woman?"

"That was just a guess. It sounded like a woman's voice."

"What were they plotting?" Ron wanted to know.

"He was going to use her help to get rid of me. They were thinking about kidnapping Ginny or something like that."

Ron stared. "But how could they do that? Hogwarts is the safest place there is."

Harry sighed. "Knowing Voldemort, he might find a way."

"I think we know all of his tricks, Harry."

"Maybe not."

"But it was just a dream, right?"

"I hope so." Harry rearranged his blankets. "In that case, let's not worry ourselves sick 'bout this, okay?"

"'Kay, Harry!" said Ron.

Everyone who was awake lay down and was soon asleep. But just before going into a dreamless slumber, Harry had one last thought.

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A/N: All right, audience. Do you think Harry stopped before a "good part?" Say in your reviews, okay. Thanks.


	2. There's a Way

A/N: Warning: This chapter might be a bit too creepy for younger readers. Please take the K+ rating seriously.

xXxXx

Chapter 2: There's a Way

At about 1:00 a.m. that same night, Ginny Weasley, half-awake but not realizing it, emerged from the toilet. It was then that she heard something in her mind.

**Hello, Miss Weasley,** said a female voice

**Hullo,** Ginny said back, dreamily. **Who are you?**

**You will find out eventually. How would you like to take a little walk? **asked the voice.

**I dunno…**

**Your boyfriend is waiting for you.**

**You mean Harry?**

**Yes. Mr. Potter is waiting for you,** the voice replied. **Get a robe and some shoes on.** Ginny sleepily obeyed.

**Where is he?**

**Follow the glowing path to find out.** Still half-asleep and having impaired judgment, Ginny followed the path. It led out of Gryffindor Tower and through the Grounds. She walked out the Front Gates of the castle. The glowing path continued through the forest near the entrance of Hogwarts. Despite this, Ginny continued on her trek. Finally, she reached the end of the glowing path: a clearing in the trees which was also glowing. It seem bright enough to see color and detail but dim and silvery like moonlight. **Wait here,** the voice told her. But then it seemed like the source left Ginny. She woke up completely and realized that she wasn't in Hogwarts!

_What the...?!_ she thought. _How I'd get out here?_ She looked around, feeling more and more scared. The fact that she had never had sleepwalked before eliminated somnambulism from her list of possibilities. She had no memory of the sleepy conversation with the voice.

_I can't imagine how this situation could get any worse,_ she thought. But then she realized that she didn't have to imagine; it had. A spectral woman had just entered the clearing. In the eerie light, the following features were visible to Ginny The woman's skin, including her lips, was pallid and her eyes were poison green. Her fingernails were long and sharp. They looked more like claws. Her clothing was a toga in the way a Roman citizen would, armor underneath it, and Roman sandals. However, the most noticeable (and formidable) feature of the woman was her hair. It was as red as Ginny's but was literally on fire! The fire seemed to be about half a foot high. Ginny was petrified and dumbstruck as soon as she saw the woman. After she had a few seconds to recover from the shock, she nervously asked, "Who are you?"

"I was the one who lured you here," replied the woman. It was that moment that Ginny remembered the dreamy talk she had with the strange voice.

"Are you…dead?"

"No. I have been alive from the time of the Roman Empire," was the reply. Now Ginny knew how powerful and dangerous this witch was. She knew she had to escape…fast. She noticed that the trees surrounding the clearing were spaced out. Some of the spaces seemed large enough for her to get through! She stood up slowly so the woman wouldn't react, but then darted towards one of the large spaces. Unfortunately, the woman said an incantation as soon as Ginny began to run, and all the trunks of the trees swelled, making a nearly solid tree wall! Ginny stopped short of running into the wall and turned around. The woman was approaching slowly, but surely. Ginny was so scared she couldn't faint or run! Finally, the woman walked into her. Suddenly, Ginny's skin felt like bubbling hot wax. She looked down at her hands and saw that the color was leaving them. Her fingernails were growing and becoming sharper. However, her scalp hurt the most because it felt like it was burning! And then she felt the woman's taking control of her body.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" she cried putting her hands on her head as though she was having a migraine. She threw herself on the ground, breathing quickly.

Suddenly, her breath became slower and heavier. Then her eyes opened. The woman, now appearing solid, stood up and cast a spell into the air. A reflective gas came out of her hand, and she looked at her reflection. Seeing that her eyes were not blue but poison green and the flames on her hair twice as high as they were before, she was satisfied. She muttered a counterhex that made the trees around the clearing shrink in trunk thickness and walked off in the direction she had come to join her new ally:

Lord Voldemort.

xXxXx

A/N: Whew, that was an exciting chapter. You may leave a review if you'd like. Just please be polite and nonvulgar, and if you think it can be polished up anymore, please tell me. Thanks.


	3. Discovery

A/N: Disclaimer, disclaimer, all that jazz. Go ahead and read.

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Chapter 3: Discovery

Coraline Varier, a sixth-year Gryffindor who had olive skin and brown eyes and hair, woke up and sat up at 7:00 a.m. Since it was a Friday, she had until 9:00 a.m. to be with her friends. She decided to see one of her best friends: Ginny Weasley. She walked over to Ginny's bed to wake her up. However, instead of seeing her friend sleeping the bed, she saw an empty bed!

_She must be in toilet,_ Cora—that's what everyone called her—thought. She went into the dormitory's toilet. All the stalls were unlocked. She checked the first stall; it was unoccupied. She checked the second stall; it was also vacant. The third stall was _also_ empty. She opened the fourth stall…

"BOO!"

Peeves had jumped out of the loo, wearing his usual gaudy clothing, which was soaked. Cora gave a short but loud scream and recoiled in surprise.

"_Damn you, Peeves!_" she shouted at the cackling poltergeist as soon as she had recovered from the shock.

"What's s'matter?" he teased. "Did I scare you?"

"Now is not the time for pranks, Peeves," she snapped back. "You didn't do anything with Ginny, by chance, did you?" she added venomously.

"Oh, is your best friend missing, Miss Emotional?" I forgot to mention one thing about Cora: she has extremely volatile emotions. What Peeves had said really made Cora infuriated. When she got really mad, she might claw the person who is making her angry.

With her fingernails that she never cut and that sometimes broke skin.

Unfortunately, for her, she had forgotten, in her anger, that Peeves was an intangible spirit of chaos, so she was rather disappointed when her hand passed through Peeves's head. He thought this was hilarious and began to joke at her. Despite this, she regained her temper and decided that she had to tell someone in authority who could help.

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"_Your attention, please,_" said Prof. McGonagall, using the Voice Projection Charm at 7:08. "_All students please report to the Great Hall immediately._"

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When the whole school was gathered in the Great Hall, McGonagall called all the prefects and the Head Boy and Girl up to the place where the teachers' table normally was to tell them what to do. Each one of them would call up students from each of the four Houses to form search parties. They would do this in turns. They would also call up students from one House at a time so that students from different houses would be intermixed. This was meant to prevent members of a certain House from slacking off just because Ginny was a Gryffindor. The teachers would also form their own search party. As soon as they were formed, each party would be assigned a certain area to search. If anyone found Ginny, the person in charge of the group would have to shoot up green sparks.

"I will not tolerate any jokes," McGonagall told them in a no-nonsense tone. "A mistake is understandable, but if a person is caught playing a joke, he or she will have detention for a week. Now, we should start without any further ado."

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Hermione called up the last Ravenclaw to join her search party. She looked at all the other parties. Malfoy caught her eye for a moment,. He was staring at her, blushing a little. She shot him a glare, and he looked away quickly.

_He must have been remembering what I was wearing in that dream last night._

_If we were sharing a dream, that is,_ she added. However, she didn't think that was possible; furthermore, they had to help find Ginny.

* * *

At 10:25 a.m., McGonagall announced, "Since there has been no sign of Miss Weasley, all search parties shall return to the Great Hall for breakfast."

* * *

At 10:30 a.m., all the search parties had returned to the Great Hall. All had been unsuccessful. Everyone sat down to a hurried breakfast. Ron ate more than her usually did out of worry; Cora claimed she wasn't hungry and didn't eat anything at all. McGonagall announced that classes would resume as usual but, also, the students were to "keep their eyes open" for Ginny in case she somehow showed up somewhere. There wasn't much conversation during the meal. The atmosphere was tense and worried.

After breakfast, everyone went to their dorms to get their books ready. Harry, however, did one more thing: he checked the Marauder's Map. Then, on the way to class, he told Ron one important thing: Ginny was not on the Marauder's Map, so she wasn't in Hogwarts nor Hogsmeade. But if Ginny wasn't in those two places, where could she be?

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A/N: Alright, fans, we are at a bit of a cliffy here. Please be patient for the next chapter. Oh, by the way, the third-to-last section gives a hint about Chapter 1's question. Please answer in your reviews. 


	4. Research

A/N: Yup, I'm back! And I have an all-new chapter with me! Fans, thanks for being patient and enjoy. Oh, and disclaimer, diclaimer the majority of characters belong to J. K. Rowling.

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At 1:30 p.m., the seventh years had a study hall period. That just means they had a period to do homework or other things if they were done. Harry, Ron, and Hermione met outside of the library, where they were going to spend their study hall. Hermione seemed rather confused when they met since she had a stumped expression on her face. For some time, the trio was completely silent. Finally, Ron decided to break the ice.

"Hermione?"

"Yes?" she replied, her voice a reflection of her expression.

"You, uh," Ron stumbled, "seem…stumped."

"That's because I am."

"Er, what about?"

"As I was coming here, I was unfortunate enough to find Malfoy. He said, 'Hey, Granger, I think you should get caught by Lupa Furens.' I decided that it would be best to ignore him. I'm glad I did."

"Um," Harry answered, "who's Lupa Furens?"

"Well…" Hermione began, realizing that she didn't know the answer. "I…think we'd better look her up."

"Wait a moment," Ron interjected. "How to you know that this person is a woman?"

"Ronald, her name sounds Latin. Latin words that end in 'a' are usually feminine."

"Oh," said a slightly mortified Ron. Hermione got up, went over to a section in the library, and scanned the books.

"Hmm," she said quietly, pulling out a book entitled _Mythical and Legendary Witches and Wizards_. "Wonder if this is the right one?"

"Let's check it out," Harry suggested. So they looked in it and, surprisingly, found a section one Lupa Furens! Hermione read the article out loud.

"'Lupa Furens- (date of birth unknown)- Furens was born to a moderately rich family in a town near to Rome under a different name. Though the exact year isn't known, according to legend, it was at least 50 years before Pax Romana. Her name at birth is also unknown. She was born with striking red hair.

"'At age seven, Furens was bitten by a werewolf. Deciding it was too dangerous to let anyone else know about this incident, she remained secretive about it and secluded herself to a secure room during the night of the full moon for ten years. At age seventeen, she discovered that she had magical abilities and that she was capable of using wandless magic. It was then that she decided that she could reveal the truth to her family. Unfortunately, they did not take the news very well and kept their distance. As a matter of fact, one of her brothers told the officials about her, and their reaction was to capture her. However, the news spread like fire on dry wood throughout the town. Therefore, a homicidal mob of angry townspeople chased her out of her home and out of the town. She was able to get away from her pursuers, and they gave up. When they were out of sight, she began to plan for the future.

"'Knowing that she was now considered an outcast by her city, family and possibly humanity, she decided that she would use her powerful magic to get her revenge on them for shunning her. First, she stopped her transformations during the full moon but not her "internal wolf." Second, she made herself immortal if not killed by a human. Third, she made herself impervious against hunger, thirst, fatigue, and disease. After that, she changed her appearance to make her look terrifying. The last ability she gave herself was to call unfortunate girls to her so she could knock them into unconsciousness, steal their bodies' energy, and become stronger when she did.

"'It was then that she realized her flaw. She had not said how she would let a girl go. There is much controversy between believers on how she fixed this flaw. Some say that she only lets girls go by her own choosing. Others say she can let them go that way or by being hit by a certain object. There are still others that say if she just has to be defeated to free the girl. The believers cannot decide amongst themselves what is true.

"'She then decided that she should have a name that would both scare her enemies and hide her old identity. She immediately came up with "Lupa Furens." This translates to "raging she-wolf." She chose this name because it was what she was inside.

"'Many dark witches and wizards (as well as evil Muggle knights) were said to go looking for her. Those who found her learned that she was attracted to promises of power and authority, so they dueled to find out which one had the most power. She would always watch these duels passively, not caring who fell dead. When the duels were done, the one who prevailed would then bribe her with great authority and power if Furens joined him or her. She often captured the lovers, wives, or daughters of the enemy of her ally. However, many times the girls and women were freed from her grasp, and every time she allied with an evil witch or wizard, they would eventually die or fall. She would then leave that person and move on.

"'There are many ways that she can be identified. The following are the most noticeable. Her skin is pallid, having no color at all. Her eyes are poison green. Both her fingernails and toenails are long and sharp; moreover, they look more like claws. Her apparel is a toga, armor underneath, and Roman sandals. The most notable feature, however, is her red hair that is always on fire but never being consumed by the flames.

"'She is said to still be around today. She is often said to be spotted in places across Europe. She can travel day and night without stopping to rest. In addition, many have claimed to have seen her in the United Kingdom, which suggests she is also able to travel over the Strait of Dover. The overwhelming majority of disappearances of young witches were blamed, sometimes jokingly, on Furens. She also can and sometimes does call young Muggle women, who can be captured as well as witches, but they do not give her as much power as witches. Additionally, her magical power is claimed to be able to get past even the toughest-to-beat magical protection enchantments. Any girl who was called and captured by Furens is said to have heard "the call of the Raging Wolf.'"

There was a momentary silence after Hermione was done with the article, then the three began to talk about Lupa.

"So you think Ginny was captured by Lupa?" Harry asked, still worried about Ginny.

"Wh-what?!" Ron guffawed loudly. "Harry, you've gotta be kidding!"

"Mr. Weasley," said a disapproving voice behind him. He sat up straighter and almost jumped in shock. He turned around and saw Madam Irma Pince, the librarian, standing behind him, arms folded. "Why were you talking so loudly?"

"S-sorry, Madam Pince," replied a rather embarrassed Ron. "I got a little…carried away."

"Please keep it under control next time," she responded. Ron nodded, and she strutted away. He turned back to Harry and Hermione.

"Sorry 'bout the outburst," he told them, "but what you said, Harry, just seemed…well…unlikely."

"It's alright, Ron," was the answer. "Anyway, what are the odds of Vol—"

"Oi!"

"Okay, You-Know-Who finding Lupa and gaining her allegiance?"

"One in a million, maybe?" Hermione reasoned.

"Duh!" said Ron quietly. "It's so unlikely 'cause she has to be in the U.K. and You-Know-Who would have to find her."

"_If_," Hermione added sharply, "she is real."

"Yeah, it's just that unlikely like…like…"

"Like a friendly Blast-Ended Skrewt." Hermione rolled her eyes when Harry said this. Harry, meanwhile, checked his watch. "Well," he added, "it's 1:46. Still…" He paused here to do a little mental math. "…about twenty-four minutes until Potions."

"What?!" said a startled Hermione in a near whisper. "I forgot! We have a test today!"

"Wha…oh, yeah!" responded Ron. "Should we go over our stuff, just to make sure we know it?"

"Brilliant idea, Ron," said Harry, and after a little searching in their bags, the trio began to review. But in the back of his mind, Harry was wondering.

_Could Lupa Furens be the reason behind Ginny's disappearance? And also, how did Malfoy know about her?_

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A/N: Okay, fans. You may still answer the Chapter 1 question. Please answer it in your reviews. I'd really appreciate it if you did. Thanks!


	5. Approach

A/N: Disclaimer, disclaimer, all that stuff. Call of the Raging Wolf. Enjoy responsibly.

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Chapter 5: Approach

That night, Harry was still worried that Ginny had been captured by Lupa Furens. However, he forgot this worry when his scar began to burn. He felt recognition and anger as the pain went on.

"Harry?" Ron asked when they were about to go to bed. "You alright?"

"Y-yeah," was the reply. "Just the scar."

"Y'think You-Know-Who's up to somethin'?"

"I—ow—don't know."

Both of them went to sleep. Harry began to dream. Right off the bat, he knew he was Voldemort. And he was not alone. The figure that had appeared in his dream the night before was back where she had been in that dream.

"Come closer so I can see that you have succeeded in capturing the Weasley girl," Harry said in the all-too-familiar high-pitched voice. The figure silently stepped closer and made slow circular motions with her arms, right, and then left. An eerie light began to glow when the figure had finished her motions. Harry saw her clearly.

Her skin was pallid. Her eyes were poison green. Her clothing consisted of a toga, Roman-style sandals, and armor. She had long, sharp fingernails and toenails; and flaming red hair. Voldemort had found and gotten the help of Lupa Furens! But she looked solid, not spectral.

"I have done as you have commanded," she told Voldemort (and, therefore, Harry).

"That is good, but I have just remembered that I must be the one who kills Harry Potter, as the prophecy has said," he informed her. "Therefore, there is a change in our plan to kill him."

"I am listening, my Lord."

"You must go into Hogwarts and get Harry Potter. Then bring him to me unharmed."

"I hear and understand, my Lord."

"Very good. This shall be the end of the only one who can vanquish me."

They began to laugh. However, a few seconds later, Lupa stopped laughing, put her hands on her head as though she had a terrible headache, and began to make odd groans.

"Lupa Furens," Voldemort asked, curiously, "what is happening?"

"Don't call me that!" Lupa snapped back, but it wasn't her voice; it was Ginny's! Also, her eyes were now brown, not green. "Get out of my body, you nasty, old hag!" she shouted at herself. But then her eyes turned back to green.

"You shall be quiet, Miss Weasley," Lupa said in her own voice.

The eyes changed again. "I WILL NOT!" Ginny screamed.

The change occurred. "You _shall_."

"WILL NOT!"

"You SHALL."

"WILL NOT!"

"You SHALL!"

Harry/Voldemort watched this with great curiosity and (in Harry's case) worry. Finally, Lupa stood panting before him.

"What was happening?" he asked.

"That was a breakthrough," she replied. "It is when the girl I currently have in captivity gets bold enough to tell me to get out of her body. Nonetheless, it never works for them."

"Now, be off, Lupa Furens. Do not return until you have Harry Potter or have lost the Weasley girl," Voldemort told her.

"I hear and obey, my Lord," she replied, and left the scene.

Harry woke up. No one else was awake except for him. This was a good sign. It meant he had not screamed. He quickly changed into casual clothes and crept out of the dormitory and down the stairs to the Common Room.

_If Lupa sees that there are others fighting with me, she'll kill them. __I'm the only one she needs_

He didn't know that someone was behind him when he thought that and was following him to the Grounds. As soon as they were on the Grounds, the follower hid behind the nearest bush and watched, wondering what Harry was going to do.

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A/N: Alright, fans. New question. Who do you think is following Harry? Please answer in reviews. And please be patient for Chapter 6. Thanks


	6. Fight and Flight

A/N: Disclaimer, disclaimer, all that stuff. Here's Chapter 6! Enjoy! Thanks for waiting.

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Chapter 6: Fight and Flight  
  
Lupa Furens had made it to the wall around Hogwarts. She looked up at the top of it and decided that it was not the hardest thing she had climbed. But as she came closer, she was wary of the magical enchantments. Raising her right hand, she muttered a spell that made a shield around her body that would protect her from being repelled or detected. Then she proceeded to climb the wall without any trouble at all. She went over the plan with herself one last time.

_When I get into Hogwarts, I will go to the place where the Potter boy sleeps and, although taking him with a fight would be more satisfactory, catch him in his sleep._ She was cautious, however, because there might be someone one the Grounds who might see her. If there was anyone present at that time, she would kill them if they saw her. Then she reached the top of the wall and noticed someone on the grounds. The person had his wand out, and he was looking around. Then he saw her.

_It is time to kill,_ she thought as she jumped from the top of the wall to the ground and landed in a threatening position. But then her expression softened a little bit in surprise when she saw the person's face.

_It looks like I will be granted satisfaction._

* * *

Harry had finally reached the Grounds. He had his wand in hand, ready to strike at anything that moved. 

_She'll be here any time now,_ he told himself. Just then there was a rustle of leaves behind him.

"Who's there?" he said loudly in shock, whirling around. There was a bush there, large enough to hide a medium person. One part of him wanted to continue to investigate, but another part wanted to stay on the lookout for Lupa. He acted on the latter.

­_If she sees there's someone nearby, she'll kill whoever it is._

It was right at that moment that he saw something to the right of the gate into Hogwarts. Someone had reached the top of the wall. He remembered her appearance from his vision.

_Ah, she IS here!_ And she had seen him. She jumped down from the wall and landed in a posture that suggested the desire to tear him apart. Of course, he believed she didn't intend to do that. Despite this, he kept his wand out. Suddenly, her face softened in what seemed to be shock, but then she turned it back into a wolflike expression. They began to circle around like they both were wolves ready to tear each other to shreds.

"Surprised to see me here, waiting for you, Furens?" Harry asked dryly.

"I was," she replied, "but you will not remain conscious long enough to savor that fact!" At the last word, she charged.

Harry's reaction was almost instantaneous.

"_Expelliarmus_" he shouted. His spell sent Lupa flying through the air and landing near the gates.

But then she stood up, unscathed, but furious.

"That was a mistake, Harry Potter," she snarled at him.

And then, she changed. Her flaming hair disappeared. Her face elongated, and her ears became pointed. Her hands and feet became paws, and her clothing began to fade away. Short, grizzled fur covered her body. She grew a tail. She bared her teeth snarled.

Harry was almost paralyzed. She had turned into a werewolf! Though trembling, he stood his ground and kept his wand pointed at her. Suddenly, she charged.

"_Wingardium Leviosa!_" he cried. The spell lifted Lupa off her feet. Harry then promptly threw her into a wall. This dazed her just for a moment, but then stood back up and pounced. This time, Harry wasn't ready with a spell. Instead, he ducked to one side. The pouncing werewolf missed him by a whisker. When she landed, she charged back into her human form and turned toward him. They began to circle again.

"How could you have turned into a werewolf if you overcame your transformations?" Harry asked, remembering the article.

"I enchanted myself so that I could turn into a werewolf at will," Lupa replied rancorously.

And she did so at that moment. She charged once more. Harry ducked to the side again and raised his wand.

"_Expelli_—ARGH!" He had reacted too late.

Four claws on Lupa's right front paw had penetrated his right forearm and caused him so much pain that he dropped his wand. She landed gracefully and turned around to face Harry. Harry, at this moment, had too much on his mind to think straight. He felt around, hoping to regain his wand. However, he found a stick to his right that, when he saw it, was large enough for a club. He reached over with his left hand and grabbed it. Lupa, still in wolf form, was pouncing. She was almost on top of him when he swung the stick and hit her with it. The result was astounding. There was a dim flash of purple when he hit her, but there was another flash, he noted. She seemed to split into two people. Harry, at this moment, was more interested in Lupa, who had suddenly become spectral. He stood up, still holding the stick. Lupa stood up and fled in what appeared to be fear. Harry put the stick down and went over to investigate the other person.

She also had red hair, but it wasn't on fire. Her skin was somewhat pale, but it had some color in it. Her clothing was a Hogwarts robe over pajamas and a pair of shoes, not sandals. Her eyes were closed. It was Ginny. At first, Harry was overjoyed to see her, but then he realized she might be dying! He put two fingers on her neck, and she had a pulse. She was still alive!

Just then, a rustling in the same bush that Harry had almost investigated earlier caught his attention.

"Who's there?" he shouted at the bush.

The person who was appeared be standing up. Harry recognized him in an instant.

Which other mousy-haired Hogwarts student would have a camera other than Colin Creevey?

Colin explained that he used to have the habit of sleepwalking and that sometimes he reverted. This night was one of these nights. He had wandered out of the dormitory with his camera at the time that Harry was sneaking down. Harry had bushed by him without noticing and had woken Colin up. Colin was able to follow Harry surreptitiously to the Grounds. He had seen the fight from the bush he was hiding in.

"And you got a picture of me hitting Lupa and…and freeing Ginny?"

"Um, who's Lupa, Harry?" Colin was confused.

"Lupa Furens was the witch I fought."

"Oh. Then, yes."

Harry went over to near where Ginny lay and recovered his whole, unbroken wand. After he pocketed it, he walked over to and picked up the still-sleeping Ginny. He decided to take her to the hospital wing just to keep an eye on her.

"I'll open doors for you, Harry," Colin offered.

"Thanks, Colin," was the reply.

As Harry began to proceed, he thought he heard amused buzzing.

_Guess the_ Prophet's_ going to have something about it tomorrow._

* * *

A/N: Sorry, hphottie14, but those were good guesses. Time for the question for this chapter: Why did Harry think this: "_Guess the_ Prophet's_ going to have something about it tomorrow._"? Also, feel free to answer Chapter 1's question before Chapter 7 comes out; it will have the answer! Oh, and please be patient. I might be a little busy at this time. \\// 


	7. Recovery

A/N: Hey, I'm back! Hope you like this. Thanks for reading. Chapter 1's Q answer inside.

* * *

Chapter 7: Recovery

"Is she all right, Madam Pomfrey?" Ron's voice was nervous.

"Yes, your sister is doing fine, Mr. Weasley," Madam Pomfrey replied. "She just needs rest, according to the Health-Condition Charm."

"Her aura in that charm was light gray, Ron," Harry informed him. "A sign of sleepiness."

"She's been asleep for quite a long time," Hermione interjected.

"Hearing the Call and being captured really did her in." Harry sounded sorry for Ginny.

It was then that there was stirring in the bed. The three friends became silent. Ginny sat up, eyes still partly closed, and put here left hand to her forehead.

"Where…am I?" she asked quietly.

"You're in Hogwarts, Ginny," said Harry in reply.

Her eyelids lifted, and she saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione standing around her bed.

"Are you feeling all right, Ginny?" Ron asked her.

"Well…yes, I feel fine."

"How…" Hermione broke off. "How did it feel being…well…captured?"

Ginny didn't speak for a moment.

"It's awful," she finally said. "You're completely awake and aware what is going on, sense everything, say everything, and your body's out of your control, even your breathing. You can barely think your own thoughts at all. That's it.

"Unless you can suddenly try to regain it?" asked Harry.

"You're still unable to control your own body, just your mind and your voice." She stopped. "Can we please not talk about this anymore? I don't want to think about that right now."

"All right," said Hermione. "Cora's been pretty worried about you. We almost had to make her eat at wandpoint!"

"Yeah, she tends to feel not hungry when she's worried."

"That can lead her to be really grumpy as well?" Ron wanted to know.

"I think so."

At that moment, they heard two pairs of feet coming towards the hospital wing.

"You're not joking, are you, Colin?" asked a female voice.

"No way, Cora! I saw Lupa and got a picture of her! Would I lie to you on a thing like this?"

"Maybe." Cora sounded slightly annoyed.

The two sixth-years entered. Cora, seeing the three friends around the bed, quickly walked over to it.

The girls stared at each other silently for a few seconds as in awe. Then Cora and Ginny shared a friendship hug. Harry saw Ron turn red and turn around. He heard Ron murmur, "Bloody hell."

Harry then looked at Colin and saw that Colin was carrying a couple of things. One was a photograph. Colin had apparently dipped it in the potion that made the figures in Muggle photographs move. It was the scene of the freeing.

The other thing was the most recent _Daily Prophet_. The article about the incident with Lupa, written by Rita Skeeter, was present. To his surprise, though, it had not made front page. Instead, it had been put as an insignificant side-story.

_I wonder,_ he thought, _if Death Eaters are behind this to keep the magical world in the dark._

* * *

That night, Harry began to dream. He was on the staircase again. Ron was with him. They were at the top of the staircase and were brought to the throne room of the slug.

He recognized two figures. One was Draco Malfoy. The weird thing about Malfoy being there was that Ron was having friendly conversation with him! After a little chatting, Ron asked where "Neenie" was.

_Neenie? Could that be…_

"I'm here," replied a female voice. He looked up at the slug's throne. Hermione was sitting right next to him. Her appearance made Harry feel a little strange.

It wasn't everyday that you see Hermione chained to a giant slug.

Wearing a metal bikini.

* * *

The next day, just when the seventh-year study hall was beginning, Harry and Ron noticed Hermione and Malfoy glowering at each other. They could hear what the latter two were saying.

"You didn't have to hit me so hard," Malfoy snapped.

"_You_ had no right to comment on what I was wearing," Hermione replied.

Malfoy walked away. Hermione went towards her friends.

"Erm…hello, Hermione." Ron's voice was shaky.

"Hi," she replied curtly.

"Um…you all right?"

"I'm just vexed with Malfoy."

"About what?"

"A dream that we were having together for some reason."

"About being captured by one-ton slug?"

Hermione paused.

"How did you know?"

"You, uh, rescued me from that stuff I was frozen in."

"After you brought me to the slug," Harry added.

"That big furry thing was _you_, Harry?"

"Yeah."

Another pause.

"Let's not talk about this right not, all right?" asked Hermione.

"Okay. We have to finish up our potions homework, anyway," said Harry.

"Oi!" It was Ron. "I forgot about that!" This time, he had kept his voice quiet.

Harry and Ron began to work on potions, while Hermione studied for Charms. As he worked, though, Harry felt happy.

_I'm glad that Ginny's back and everything's back to normal. _

* * *

THE END (for now)

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading. Please review. I always like it when I get reviews. Oh, also, how did you like the answer to Chapter 1's Q? One more thing, I hereby give open permission to fanfic my fanfic. Feel free. Bye! 


	8. Epilougue

A/N: SURPRISE! Here's the epilougue of the story. All authors can fanfic off of this fanfic if you want. Oh, hphottie14, thanks for reminding me. Please R&R on any of the chapters.

* * *

Epilogue: Two Challenges

It was time for potions. Harry stared toward the dungeons.

"Hey, Potter!" a voice behind him called.

He turned around and saw whom it was.

"Yes, Malfoy?"

"I challenge you to a duel."

"A duel?"

"Yes. Tomorrow at noon in the antechamber next to the Great Hall."

"You swear to be there unlike first year?"

"I swear on my honor."

_I doubt you have any,_ Harry thought.

"Fine. I'll be there."

"You may bring a few people to watch."

"I will." Harry had the signs of confidence.

The two seventh-years parted ways. Malfoy, though, had a quiet worry about the duel.

_Why was Potter so damn confident?_

* * *

"I have failed you, my Lord," Lupa said, bowing at Voldemort's feet.

He was not very happy but not angry either.

"Being the Dark Lord," he told her, "I can strike you down anytime, but not this time."

She looked up at him.

"I will give you a second chance and a new mission."

Lupa stood up. Voldemort gave her the instructions.

"I understand and obey, my Lord," she said.

Then she departed. Voldemort sat and waited.

* * *

A/N: Yes, I am planning to write a sequel to this story. It might take me a while, though. Thanks for reading to the end. 


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